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EAST WILLIAMSON – Mingo County Redevelopment Authority (MCRA) Director Steve Kominar is pleased to report that the Mingo County plant was chosen over the Melbourne, Arkansas facility for adding a second shift.

Kominar gave this news to his board of directors last week at their regular monthly meeting.

“This is great news and would not have been possible if we haven’t had a collaborative relationship with the West Virginia Development Office personnel Mark Julian, John Mallet and Sharon Adams,” Kominar said, “Also with the West Virginia Department of Tax and Revenue General Counsel Mark Morton - in conjunction with the Board of Directors of MCRA - this team effort showed the positives of doing business in the state of West Virginia and Mingo County. “

“The great relationship that has been established with local plant manager Andrew Messenger and Human Resources Director Linda McIntire was very important in this process,” Kominar added. “We have every reason to believe that the Mingo County Plant will expand to third shift as well.”

Kominar said employment applications can be completed on line at Unlincarrers.com or Mohawkcareers.com .

Kominar also announced thatthe new building has been completed and the Division of Forestry has moved in at the Industrial Park site. “This addition to the park is very beneficial to our county as well as Logan and Boone County. This location is a permanent location for the Division of Forestry. This is our first collaboration with the State of West Virginia at this site.”

Kominar, a former House of Delegate representative, also shared good news about the Mingo County Air Transportation Park.

“We are bringing water and sewer to this 650 acre site, the cost is approximately $7 Million Dollars for this project. We have been successful in last year’s state budget to receive $3.5 million and expect we will receive the balance this budget year. We want to thank Governor Earl Ray Tomblin and our state Legislative group for their support on this valuable asset,” Kominar stressed.

“This water and extension project will also provide access to the White Flame No. 10 property that Alpha Natural Resources will donate to the MCRA for a residential housing site,” Kominar added. “The IBR ( variance) has been granted for this site that includes approximately 1,300 acres. Alpha Natural Resources has made an incredible commitment to Mingo County and our future and we all should be extremely supportive and proud to have Alpha in our community.”

Kominar said the MCRA has made strides toward the Integrated Energy Park and Integrated Energy Research Center. “There is a positive movement forward on a national basis for the development of Integrated Energy Parks. While there is much work to do going forward, we find that technology is advancing at light speed in this arena and we are committed to keeping Mingo County in the forefront,” he told the board or directors.

“This leads us to the Integrated Energy Research Center. Our initial proposal is to establish a research center in Mingo County and we envision a facility of academia of every energy discipline working in collaboration to research and define going forward energy sources,” Kominar said. “Not only for the present but the future.”

The Tug Valley Entrepreneur Group is also working with the Redevelopment Authority. “This is a Collaborative formed by SWVC&TC and MCRA to promote entrepreneur growth in our community,” said Kominar. “The group consists of 20 to 30 people presenting a broad section of our community. Southern is heading this movement and has committed to including these studies into their various business programs. Randy Keathley, Superintendent of Mingo County Schools, is involved and has made a commitment for the same into the secondary school system starting in a student’s early years. This is an active group that meets monthly at the office of MCRA.”

“I have mentioned Alpha Natural Resources and their commitment. CONSOL Energy and MCRA have begun preliminary discussions on 200 acres for agricultural use,” Kominar said. He announced that the State Department of Agriculture has chosen Mingo County for its southern site for a 500 head hog farm. (See story in Sunday’s Williamson Daily News.)

“This is still in the preliminary stages, but the Department of AG is touring other sites throughout the east coast to discover the best state of the art facilities to be built in West Virginia,” Kominar added. “This will be a state supported facility. The process section will offer new job opportunities and skills or our local residences.”

The MCRA board of directors also voted to write a letter in support of the Williamson Memorial Hospital and the proposed sale to ARH.“Dr. Dino Beckett and I have made two trips to Charleston expressing our opposition to this acquisition,” Kominar said. “The first meeting was with the Governor and senior staff, the second was with Majority Leader Harry Keith White, Delegate Justin Marcum and Senior Staff from the Governor’s Office.”

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